The Japanese are known for their snacks; deeply rooted in the vibrant combini (convenience store) scene. If you’ve been to Japan, you’ll know that visiting the combini is an experience in itself. For those that miss Japan or just want to try the snacks at home, Tokyo Treat, a Japanese snack box subscription might be the perfect solution for you. This is my first time trying out any type of subscription box, so this Tokyo Treat review aims to share my experience with this service.
In This Tokyo Treat Review
What Is A Tokyo Treat Box?
The Tokyo Treat Box is a monthly snack box subscription service that delivers a curated selection of popular and unique Japanese snacks, candies, and even beverages. The boxes follow a theme every month and include exclusive seasonal items
What Is In A Tokyo Treat Box
Each Tokyo Treat box will contain between 15 – 20 snacks, including drinks, instant ramen, chips, candy and Japan-exclusive KitKats.
Themes for upcoming boxes are also posted on the website and new themes are released on the 16th of every month. The website also keeps an archive of past boxes, but you can’t cart those out.
However, I found out that you can purchase items from the past boxes individually through your account. Some of the items are really expensive though. I’ve seen a pack of gummies selling at USD $6.
How Much A Tokyo Treat Box Costs
At the time of writing it costs USD $37.50 for a month, and gets slightly cheaper if you’re subscribing more months.
What Was In Our Tokyo Treat Box?
Just as with every Tokyo Treats box, the box came with 15 snacks as well as an English information booklet.
Shipping was also fast, as Tokyo Treats ships with DHL. I got my box 24 hours after receiving the email notification that my box had been shipped out.
Chips And Crackers
The August 2024 Tokyo Treats Box came with 5 snacks in the chips and crackers category. They were the Don Don Yaki Kimchi, Seven Spice & Mayo Karinto, Super Sour Vinegar Chips, Yakisoba Bites and Edamame Chips.
I would say these were a good representation of the Japanese culture, especially the Seven Spicy & Mayo Karinto, flavoured with shichimi, a common Japanese spice mixture containing seven ingredients. The slight spice and umami flavour of this snack made it my favourite of the entire box.
Being a huge vinegar fan, I also really enjoyed the Super Sour Vinegar Chips, which didn’t have a sharp vinegar taste, unlike many vinegar chips out there (trust me, I’ve tried many).
Candy
Kakigoori Gummies, Cool Down Candy, Marshmallow Streamer and Ramune Mochi were the 4 candy category snacks that were in our box. I don’t particularly enjoy soda-flavoured foods, so the candy in this box weren’t up my alley. And the marshmallow also tasted like any other marshmallow; nothing special here.
Kit Kat
The Kit Kat included in the August 2024 box was the Gold Caramel Kit Kat. I was disappointed with this as I see this Kit Kat flavour in my local Don Don Donki all the time, so nothing special there.
Cakes And Cookies
There were 4 items in the Cakes and Cookies category — Manneken Waffle Cookies & Cream, Chocolate Cookies, Cheese Cream Pancake and 7 Sticks Choco Cream (which I have mistakenly included in the chips image).
The Cheese Cream Pancake is twist on the popular Japanese snack, the Dorayaki, but besides this item, I feel that the other items are pretty common snacks regardless of culture or country.
Instant Ramen
The instant ramen of the month was the Hiyashi Ramen, which is a cold ramen. I found this really interesting and also a smart inclusion into the box as cold ramen is of course, a good way to beat the summer heat! Cooking instructions were also included in the information booklet.
Tokyo Treat Review – Pros And Cons
Pros
1. Fun Way To Try Something New
The box allowed me to try snacks that I would not normally grab off the shelves, be it due to packaging design or the flavour of the snack. I don’t think I would willingly buy a pack of cold instant ramen, but now that I have it from the box, I would have to try it.
2. Learning About The Japanese Culture
Some of the snacks are a very good representative of the Japanese culture. For example, I learned that shichimi is a very common and popular spice used in Japan because I really loved the Seven Spice & Mayo Karinto snack.
3. A Fun And Unique Gift Idea
The Tokyo Treat Box is a great gift idea if you want to gift something unique. Speaking for myself, I now know that I would be really happy if I got this as a gift; and that it was really fun unboxing it to discover what snacks were in there.
Cons
1. Allergens May Not Be Clear
Although Tokyo Treats have tried their best to list the common allergens in the information booklet, there may be other ingredients are not specified. However, I do feel that this would be the same if you were buying a snack with its packaging printed in a foreign language, so this honestly, is not that big of a problem for me.
2. Expensive
Costing around USD $38 before shipping for a box for 15 snacks, I find it really expensive and some are not even full size.
3. Remembering When To Cancel
As you do not get notifications when your subscription is ending, you’ll have to log into your account or keep track of the number of boxes you have received.
I have also read bad reviews about customers having their subscription auto renewed because they had forgot to cancel and not being able to get a refund. Although this is fully the customers’ fault for not remembering, but it would be nice if Tokyo Treats gave some form of heads up before the subscription renews.
Final Thoughts And Rating
Fun: 5/5
Price: 3/5
Value: 3.5/5
Tokyo Treat is definitely a very fun subscription box to receive. Although it is quite expensive, I would consider getting a box as a gift if I need a unique gift, or if I’m gifting to a friend who is a fan of Japan.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Is Tokyo Treat From Japan?
Yes, they also ship from Tokyo, Japan.
How Much Does Tokyo Treat Cost? How Expensive Is Tokyo Treat?
Prices defer based on the number of months you subscribe. There are plans for 1/3/6/12 months.
1 Month – USD $37.50/month
3 Months – USD $35.50/month
6 Months – USD $33.50/month
12 Months – USD $32.50/month
Can You Purchase A Single Box From Tokyo Treat?
Tokyo Treat works on a recurring subscription model. However, you can choose the monthly plan option and cancelling right after. That way, you will only receive and be billed for 1 box.
Is Shipping Included In The Tokyo Treat Monthly Subscription? Do You Have To Pay For Shipping?
Shipping is not included in the prices listed for the Tokyo Treat monthly subscription plans. Shipping is calculated at checkout.
Disclaimer: Tokyo Treat sent us a box for this Tokyo Treat Review, but all opinions are our own. There are affiliate links in this article. Purchasing through the links will earn us a small commission (it is also very much appreciated!), at no cost to you.
